As the new season fast approaches, Glasgow sides have found out who they will face in the first round of the newly revamped Scottish Challenge Cup - set to be renamed the IRN-BRU Cup.

The new look format features a host of changes, and will feature an U20 side from each SPFL Premiership side enter the competition for the first time.

Expanded from 32 teams to 54, the first round draw sees only 28 teams contest for a place in the second round: 12 U20 Premiership sides, eight League Two teams and four sides each from the Lowland and Highland leagues respectively.

The aforementioned Welsh (The New Saints and Bala Town) and Northern Irish sides (Crusaders and Linfield) will enter at the fourth round.

Celtic U20s, the side that went unbeaten in the Development League last season, will play at home to Annan Athletic.

Across the city, Rangers - the reigning champions of the Challenge Cup, will see their U20s ‘defend the title’ with a home tie against Stirling University. The Light Blues U20s are currently without a manager, following Ian Durrant’s exit from the club last month.

Celtic U20 coach Tommy McIntyre (Image: SNS Group)

League Two side Clyde face an all Glasgow clash when they host Partick Thistle U20s at Broadwood, while Queen's Park will host Kilmarnock’s U20s.

It may have attracted a sponsor, broadcast deal and introduced Highland and Lowland League clubs, but there are still considerable flaws in the new set up.

Originally introduced in 1990 in order to give lower league sides a chance of winning silverware, the new format surely makes this far more difficult to achieve. Not least because the Welsh and Northern Irish sides don’t enter until the fourth round, putting Scottish clubs in a Scottish competition as a significant sporting disadvantage.

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Having come under pressure to defend the existing Development League, SPFL chief Neil Doncaster hopes the introduction of Colts teams will help bridge the gap between U20 and first team football.

With a return to reserve league football deemed financially unviable, the current Development League set up allows five over-age players to be part of any one match squad. While this still means the latest crop of ‘ones to watch’ can play alongside experienced pro’s returning from injury and suspension, many clubs have chosen to send their youngsters out on loan to lower league clubs to gain first team experience instead.

Should any of those part time teams reach the fourth round and face travelling to Wales or Northern Ireland, they will be given a travel allowance of £4000 - but that doesn’t begin to account for practical elements including players getting that time off to travel and play, as well as the substantial financial outlay for travelling fans.

With Challenge Cup rules stating clubs do not have to play matches at their home grounds - how is this helping to bridge the gap and prepare for first team football?

Ties are to be played across Tuesday, August 2, and Wednesday, August 3.

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